Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Bkgardpu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Bkgardpu’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and early flowering response; freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with dark red purple-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKGARDPU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a Garden Chrysanthemum plant and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Bkgardpu’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plantmutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Bkgardrs’, not patented. Thenew Chrysanthemum plant was discovered by the Inventor in October, 2010as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of‘Bkgardrs’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Monster, TheNetherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative tipcuttings was first conducted in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in January,2011. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotypemay vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature,daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bkgardpu’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bkgardpu’ as a new and distinct gardenChrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   3. Uniform flowering response.    -   4. Early flowering habit, eight-week response time.    -   5. Freely flowering habit.    -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with dark red purple-colored        ray florets.    -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent,‘Bkgardrs’, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the newChrysanthemum have red purple-colored ray florets whereas plants of‘Bkgardrs’ have pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum ‘Daphin Purple’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Monster, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemumdiffered from plants of ‘Daphin Purple’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact than plants        of ‘Daphin Purple’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger leaves than plants        of ‘Daphin Purple’.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences        than plants of ‘Daphin Purple’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view oftypical flowering plant of ‘Bkgardpu’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper (topof sheet) and lower (bottom of sheet) surfaces of typical inflorescencesand leaves of ‘Bkgardpu’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the springin a glass-covered greenhouse in Monster, The Netherlands and undercultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercialgarden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants,day and night temperatures ranged from about 18° C. to 19° C. Plantswere grown under photoinductive short day/long night treatments, notpinched and were two months old when the photographs and descriptionwere taken. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Bkgardpu’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the    Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Bkgardrs’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at            temperatures of about 18° C. to 19° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at            temperatures of about 18° C. to 19° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 days            at temperatures of about 18° C. to 19° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 16 days            at temperatures of about 18° C. to 19° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous garden type Chrysanthemum            with decorative-type inflorescences; compact and bushy plant            habit; stems initially upright and arching outwardly giving            a uniformly mounded appearance; overall plant form, obovate            to flattened obovate; moderately vigorous growth habit;            freely branching habit with about twelve lateral branches            developing per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 16.8 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 15.8 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 6.2 cm. Diameter: About            2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 143C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 5 cm.        -   Width.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Broadly ovate, palmately lobed.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes            slightly convergent.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Pubescent.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Densely pubescent; veins prominent.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137D; venation,            close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 147B; venation, close to 146B.        -   Petiole length.—About 1 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely            pubescent.        -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 146B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with obovate            to oblong-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne on            terminals above the foliar plane; disc and ray florets            arranged acropetally on the capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower in the autumn in the Netherlands; under controlled            greenhouse environment conditions, inflorescence initiation            and development can be induced under short day/long night            conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness); early            flowering habit; plants flower about eight weeks after            planting.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about three weeks; inflorescences not            persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with            about 50 inflorescences developing per plant.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About            7 mm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: Close to 143A and            143D.        -   Inflorescences.—Diameter: About 4 cm. Depth (height): About            2 cm. Diameter of disc: About 4 mm. Receptacle diameter:            About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 2 mm. Receptacle color:            Close to 145B.        -   Ray florets.—Orientation: Initially upright, then about 30°            to 60° from perpendicular to peduncle. Number of ray florets            per inflorescence: About 170 arranged in about seven whorls.            Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Obovate to            oblong. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous,            velvety; longitudinally ridged. Color: When opening, upper            surface: Between 64A and 71A. When opening, lower surface:            Close to N78D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 71A to            71B; color does not fade with development. Fully opened,            lower surface: Close to 75A.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 15. Shape:            Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed, acute. Length: About            5 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Color, immature: Apex: Close to            13A. Mid-section and base: Close to 145C to 145D. Color,            mature: Apex: Close to 12A and 13A. Mid-section and base:            Close to 145C.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20            arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 7 mm. Width:            About 2.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovate to oblong. Apex: Bluntly            acute. Base: Cuneate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper            surface: Close to 143A; margins, close to N199A. Color,            lower surface: Close to 143A to 143B; margins, close to            N199A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 3.1 cm. Fourth            peduncle: About 4.8 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About            2 mm. Angle: Erect to about 30° from vertical. Strength:            Strong, flexible. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close            to 138B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Quantity of stamens per disc floret: About five.            Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to 145B            to 145C. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About            1.2 mm. Anther color: Close to 154D. Pollen amount:            Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 6A. Gynoecium: Present on            both ray and disc florets. Quantity of pistils per floret:            One. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft,            decurrent. Stigma color: Close to 9A to 9B. Style length:            About 3.5 mm. Style color: Close to 145B to 145C. Ovary            color: Close to 144B to 144C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been            observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.-   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common    to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new    Chrysanthemum grown under commercial conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been    observed to have good garden performance, to tolerate high    temperatures of about 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones    7 to 8.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named‘Bkgardpu’ as illustrated and described.